Rome, March 1 (RHC)-- Italy’s top criminal court has thrown out the convictions of five Italian agents for their role in the kidnapping of a Muslim cleric as part of the CIA’s extraordinary rendition program.
The cleric, Abu Omar, was snatched from the streets of Milan in 2003 and taken to U.S. bases in Italy and Germany before being sent to Egypt, where he was tortured. Twenty-two CIA members have been convicted in absentia in the case.
But now, the court overturned the convictions of Italy’s former military intelligence chief and four others, saying they were invalid because the case involved secret information.
